Current Giveaways!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Oh my goodness, I LOVE this detergent. I was weary at first with buying a detergent off the internet without knowing much about it, but I am so glad I did!

Around November, I was having a terrible time getting rid of the awful "diaper stench." I tried putting hot water on them and soaking them with vinegar for hours. I tried soaking them in Dawn Dish Soap. I tried soaking them in Tide detergent. Needless to say, none of these attempts worked. The stench still stayed, and I was still unhappy and annoyed.

On Black Friday, I finally caved in and purchased a 45/90 load bag of Peppermint Cocoa from Rockin' Green. It was a great deal-- 50% off!! By the next week I had received my package and immediately tried it out! I literally walked in the house, put the baby in her bouncer, ripped open the package, and started to gather the diapers.

I got my stinky diapers ready, soaked them in the Rockin' Green detergent for a little over an hour and POOF! the stink was gone! I ran them through the washer after the soak and was shocked completely. We have an HE washer and have a terrible time with getting rid of the suds left from other detergents. Well, Rockin' Green does not give me that issue. I only have to wash and rinse the diapers twice instead of 4 or more times. A HUGE plus!! That being said, it cuts my laundry time in half!

After using the Classic Rock for a couple of months, I noticed I had to soak my diapers each time I washed diapers. It was getting a little frustrating. I then realized we were having hard water issues. I bought some Calgon and began adding to the washer, and it seemed to help some. But I was still a little annoyed I needed to add stuff instead of just using one product.

Then Kim from Rockin’ Green made an announcement… Hard Rock is out! She had a giveaway, and I was the lucky one to win a free bag. Once I got the bag, I soaked the diapers for most of the day and had to soak them again because the stench was very built up. After the second soak, my diapers were no longer stinky- they smelled brand new!!

Since I have been using the Hard Rock detergent, I haven’t had to soak them to remove the smell. I just rinse the diapers, then add 2 tbsp to each load, let it wash and then rinse them a couple of times.

I am very satisfied with this product, as well as their customer service.

Here is some of their information from their website:

Are you sick and tired of battling with stinky diapers?

Do you worry about the chemicals you are putting on your children’s clothes?

Then Rockin’ Green detergent should be on your laundry playlist! It comes in 3 rockin’ formulas and several fun scents, which is music to anyone’s ears.

This cloth diaper & laundry detergent was born out of necessity and perfected over many months. It’s made of safe, phosphate free ingredients, which are good for the planet, and is great for kids and adults.

Best of all, it is totally safe for cloth diapers, so you don’t have to worry about repelling and stinkies. In fact, many of my customers love it so much they use it on all their laundry and linens!

Got hard water?

We got you covered- this stuff was designed to bust through the minerals and grime and leave you with clean smelling, sparkly diapers and clothes! Without the need for all those extra boosters and add-ons that you are used to using. Just a few tablespoons and you are on your way to clean diapers and clothing.

Rockin’ Green is:

Dye free

Comes in several yummy scents (& an unscented version for sensitive skin)

Thursday, March 25, 2010

I am a huge fan of one-size diapers and snap closures -- so when Cotton Babies (the makers of bumGenius!) rolled out the one-size 2-part Flip system, I knew I had to try it!

The Flips are hybrid diapers with three insert options -- organic, disposable, and stay-dry. I have only used the stay dry inserts, though I do use the covers with my regular old prefolds too.

I like that the stay dry insert is one-size with little markings to show you where to fold it down to fit at different stages. I also like the little flap in the front designed to hold the inserts in place. The flap in the back is a little clumsy and doesn't really seem to make any difference (the inserts don't stay under the flap, but they also don't come out the back of the diaper, so either way it just feels like a waste of a piece of fabric).

It was love at first sight, I'm not gonna lie. I was drawn in by the super cute BG colors of ribbit, zinnea, and moonbeam (Flips are now available in all the BG colors) and the stay dry insert blew me away! It was so soft! And when I pulled the liner out of the wash during prepping, wow, it felt like it weighed 5 lbs! I couldn't believe how absorbent it was! But the best part? The stay dry suede was completely dry to the touch! Amazing! I was so excited, I couldn't help but spread the word about this great, affordable option!

... But then ... trouble in paradise. I am usually very, very careful with my diapers. I always try to follow manufacturer guidelines, but, alas, one day one of my covers made it into the dryer. It melted. Melted! Ever the frugal mama, I was determined to keep using it, and it worked fine for a few more months, but then on another particularly trying day, it accidentally made its way back into the dryer. And now it has holes in it. And really, what good is a waterproof cover if it's covered in holes?

Yes, the diapers are awesome, yes, they stand up well when the manufacturer's directions are followed (I know because my other covers are fine), but I can't bring myself to give these diapers a rating higher than an 7 because they literally fall apart if they go in the dryer (we run ours on low for diapers). I know that the melting and the holes were my own fault, but I need forgiving diapers that can take the occasional accidental spin in the dryer in this house.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Lucas is a very active little guy now, crawling all over the house. Its really nice to have a diaper that moves with him. Most of his diapers do just this but the best is a fitted diaper like the Kiwi Pie Fitted Diaper. When just around the house we use just the Kiwi Pie diaper with out a cover and it lasts about 2 hours before soaking through.

There are so many different fitteds to choose from but we chose Kiwi Pie fitteds because cute prints to be honest but also because the snaps never touch the belly unlike most of the other fitted diapers. These diapers are very gentle to the skin and if we are having any rash issues these are what we turn to for airing the rash area. They are so light and breathe easy.

(Picture from www.kellyscloset.com)

The soakers inside of the diaper are great because you can lay them in the diaper how ever you like. They snap together so that you can have more absorbency and you can unsnap them for quick drying. The diaper is made of two layers of bamboo blend and one layer of cotton knit print, meaning very breathable and super soft.

They are one size so they will fit your little one from birth to potty training and yet super trim to fit under any clothing. Even though they are very trim we have loved using these for a night time diaper. We put Lucas to bed at 8pm and we don't have to change him until he wakes up at 8am. Of course we do use a cover when he goes down for a nap or to sleep at night. What I love the best is the way they fit around his legs. He has very chubby legs and they hug his legs in the most gentle way. No red marks, but no leaks which is a very happy ending for us.

If you are still confused about which fitted diaper to use the best thing to do is give a couple different kinds a try but if you don't want exposed snaps on the tummy choosing Kiwi Pie fitted diapers are the way to go.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Bum Genius cloth diapers are my favorite cloth diaper although there are some things about them I wish they would change. They have the best fit for my almost 20lb son and have been the best fit since he was 7lbs as an infant. We have the pocket, one size diaper. They have a very trim fit under his clothing, yet we have never had a leak with these diapers. The inserts are very absorbent and we haven't had to use a doubler, even at night. My son is a very heavy wetter and have had problems with a lot of our other diapers. Lucas, my son, lasts about 3-4 hours in these diapers and when I remove them they are so heavy you could easily break a window with one but still no leaks. The colors are beautiful to chose from. We have almost all of them colors except the pinks, but I love them so much I am tempted to buy them. ;-)

Even though we have been very happy with this pocket diaper there are some things that make us unhappy about them. In the pocket version, they only come in aplix and if you throw them in the dryer like I do them you know the tabs don't hold up very well and they start grabbing on to other diapers and pilling other diapers. Even though I love aplix because I can never get the snap diapers on my son because he's trying to jump off the table, I wish they would offer them or work on making the laundry tab better. If those two things were to happen I would make the Bum Genius my top used diaper. I bet others would love them more too. I know that there are those who convert them to snaps so I don't see why the company doesn't offer that feature.

Overall the Bum Genius is a great diaper and its the diaper my husband enjoys using the most but would love to see them upgrade the closure of the diaper.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

In our household we use Lucky Girl detergent. I was hesitant to buy a powder detegent with a front loader but I just place the cloth diapers in the washer and sprinkle the detergent over them and it works really well. I used to use All Free and Clear detergent but the liquid seemed to leave a residue on the diapers. I searched on Etsy for detergent safe with cloth diapers and a few different ones popped up. I looked at each of them and then I came across Lucky Girl Boutique and noticed that she has mulitple scents to chose from which is awesome. I have two different scents (sun washed linen & ocean mist) that are so fresh and the diapers come out smelling, feeling, and looking very clean. I put the diapers in on cold water wash and rinse the diapers. Then I add one scoop of the detergent in with the diapers on hot wash and then follow up with a hot wash to rinse the diapers of the detergent with an extra rinse.

Friday, March 5, 2010

AppleCheeks were one of my first cloth diapers. They have gotten very popular recently. The neat thing about these diapers is that they can be a pocket diaper where you can insert the stuffer into the diaper. They can be a cover over your fitted diapers or prefolds because they are a very thin diaper. If you chose to use them as a pocket diaper you do not need to reach into the diaper and remove the insert like you do with most pocket diapers, instead the insert comes out in the wash on its own. I think a lot of people who own this diaper do not know this and think its pretty nasty that the opening is in the middle of this diaper. I remember reading a comment on diaperpin.com from a owner of this diaper who said she thought it was nasty that you had to reach into the poop to get the insert out of the diaper, yes I can see how that would be gross, but this is not the case with these diapers.

We own AppleCheeks in Cherry Tomato size 1. This diaper runs small. It comes in two sizes, size 1 (7-20lbs) and size 2 (20-40lbs). Lucas is 19lbs and it cuts into his legs. The diaper has been through many washes and holds strong and hasn't started to pill like some of the other cloth diapers. It is made very well. The red is very vibrant in color. The diaper has snaps which isn't one of my favorite qualities in a cloth diaper. We love the velcro in this house hold only because Lucas is very squirmy on the changing table. This diaper fits very trim on Lucas but I have heard from other mommies that it is bulky between the legs on their children. If I had to rate this diaper from a 1 (for awful) to a 10(for amazing) I would give it a 8.

Lucas is a fluffy little boy in more ways than one. The way I'm referring to is cloth diapers. We cloth diaper Lucas. Cloth diapering may not be for everyone and that is fine. I chose to cloth diaper mostly to save a little money in the long run. To stock up on diapers it may not be cheap since most of them are from $13-$25 each. There are cheaper ways to cloth diaper if you chose to do this for your family. I also love how fun and cute cloth diaper can be. I love Lucas in his cloth diapers. I love the fluffy butt under his clothing. Who knew laundry could be so fun. I personally have always hated laundry but baby laundry is pretty fun.

I've decided to start a blog like other mommies who cloth diaper to review which cloth diapers I have and love and which ones I have and don't love. These will be very personal posts so don't take offense if you like them and I don't or vise versa. Please do comment though if you have something to add. Or if you have any questions. I will try to answer them or pass them on to another cloth diaper mommy who has more experience.

I must admit I have a Love/Hate relationship with most of my diapers. You'll see why in my following posts.

Traffic Feed

About the Mamas

*~*Emily*~*

I'm a mommy to one sweet little boy, a wife to an amazing man, and a follower of God. I love being a SAHM and enjoy cloth diapering. I hope to share my experiences with cloth diapering and that my reviews on the cloth diapers help you with deciding which brand you'll enjoy.

*~*Ceri*~*

I’m a Navy wife and stay-at-home mama to a beautiful little girl. We are a crunchy family that tries to do our part to help the environment. Due to my own skin sensitivities, I always planned to cloth diaper, I just had no idea how much we would love it! We are definitely hooked! I share my cloth diaper passion with anyone who will listen!

*~*Lauren*~*

I'm a stay at home mom to a wonderful baby girl. My husband and I began using cloth diapers in September 09 and have become addicted ever since. I hope my reviews will either educate you about cloth diapers, or help you choose a brand for your little one.

*~*Shauna*~*

I'm a stay-at-home mom during most days and work during the evenings and weekends full-time teaching college courses. I get the benefit of being with my kids a lot and earning money for the family away from the home. My husband is amazing for playing the single dad role while I work. We have a daughter who is almost 3 and is fully potty trained and a 6 month old son who has been fully CDed since 2 months old. In the past, I never imagined I'd CD (and actually got grossed out by it) until a dear friend showed me the ropes. Now, hindsight 20/20, I wish I would've CDed my daughter!